System for providing internet access from locations different from those for which the user's software was configured

• US 6,377,990 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nomadix, Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lodgenet Entertainment (LodgeNet Interactive Corporation)
• Inventors: Slemmer, Michael W., McAulay, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/097,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/246, 709/242, 709/225, 709/220, 709/228, 370/392, 370/395
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04

Abstract

A method for operating a local area network having a server and a plurality of computers. The server includes an Internet gateway for directing messages to and from the Internet. Each computer in the network has a unique IP address and a unique network adapter address associated with that computer. Each computer determines the network adapter address associated with a target IP address by broadcasting an address resolution protocol (ARP) message on the local area network. The server stores information identifying IP addresses in a foreign class corresponding to computers not configured for connection to the local area network. The server responds to each ARP having a target IP address in the foreign class by returning the network adapter address of the server in the response message and assigning an IP address associated with the local area network to the IP address of the computer sending the ARP. The server translates each outbound message originating on the local area network for a destination address in the foreign class by replacing the originating IP address in the message with the IP address assigned on the local area network. The translated message is then sent via the gateway. The sever also examines each inbound message received on the gateway for a destination IP address associated with the local area network to determine if the destination address is an IP address that has been assigned to an IP address in said foreign class. If such an assignment has been made, the server translates the destination IP address.

Claims

1. A method for operating a local area network having a server and a plurality of computers including a first computer, said server including an Internet gateway, each computer in said local area network having a unique IP (Internet protocol) address and a unique network adapter address associated with that computer, each computer determining the network adapter address associated with a target IP address by broadcasting an address resolution packet (ARP) on said local area network, said ARP including at least said target IP address and said network adapter address and IP address of said computer broadcasting said ARP, said computer having said target IP address responding by sending a response message that includes said network adapter address of said computer having said target IP address, at least said first computer being connectable to a home network different from said local area network, said method comprising the steps of:

using a first IP address by said first computer when said first computer communicates using said home network;

storing information identifying IP addresses in a foreign class corresponding to computers not configured for connection to said local area network including storing said first IP address of said first computer;

sending a first communication from said first computer to said server;

causing said server to send a response to each ARP having a target IP address in said foreign class, said server returning said network adapter address of said server in said response message and assigning an IP address associated with said local area network to said IP address of said computer sending said ARP in said response including assigning by said server after receiving said first communication from said first computer a second IP address associated with said local area network to said first computer that is different from said first IP address of said first computer, said second IP address being assigned independently of program code provided with said first computer to obtain said second IP address;

causing said server to translate each outbound message originating on said local area network for a destination address in said foreign class from an originating address for which one of said address'"'"' associated with said local area network has been assigned, including a first outbound message, different from said first communication, sent to said server by said first computer using said first IP address, by replacing said first IP address of said computer originating said message with said corresponding second IP address assigned to that computer, said first computer operating at all times independently of said second IP address when said first computer is connected to said local area network including when said first computer sends first outbound message to said server; and

sending said translated outbound messages via said gateway including using said second IP address to send said first outbound message from said server via said gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

examining each inbound message received on said gateway for a destination IP address associated with said local area network to determine if one of said foreign IP addresses has been assigned to said destination address, and replacing said destination IP address in said inbound message with said foreign IP address if such an assignment has been made including replacing said second IP address with said first IP address when said inbound message is for said first computer; and

sending said inbound message on said local area network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of restricting broadcast messages on said network such that a broadcast transmitted by said server will be directed to all other computers on said network, but a broadcast transmitted by said first computer on said local area network will be directed only to said server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of detecting messages on said local area network directed to a predetermined port on a computer in said foreign class and replacing said destination address in such messages with a predetermined IP address including detecting an inbound message for said first computer and replacing said second IP address in said message with said first IP address of said first computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of translating said outbound messages further comprises the step of unpacking all messages of a predetermined message type and replacing any internal copies of said IP address in said foreign class with said assigned IP address.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said storing step includes storing said second IP address.

7. A method for communicating using a global computer network, comprising:

establishing a first address associated with a computer that can be connected to a first network having a first server wherein, when said computer communicates to the global computer network using said first network, said computer uses said first address;

connecting said computer to a second network having a second server in which said first address is recognized by said second server as being different from computers that are part of said second network, said step of connecting including sending a first communication from said computer to said second server and associating a global computer network address to said computer by said second server independently of program code provided with said computer to obtain said global computer network address; and

providing a second communication, different from said first communication, between said computer and the global computer network, said providing step including providing said second communication from said computer to said second server using a second network address and providing said second communication to the global computer network by said second server using said global computer network address, said computer operating at all times independently of said global computer network address when said computer is connected to said second network and said second communication is provided independently of said computer using said global computer network address.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said sending step includes recognizing by said second server that said computer is not part of said second network.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said associating step including storing in memory a correlation between said first address and said global computer network address after said sending step.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 9, further including:

removing from said memory said correlation between said first address and said second address after a predetermined event, wherein said predetermined event is defined by a group that includes a predetermined time.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said first communication includes an address resolution packet sent to said second server with said first address by said computer and said associating step includes processing said address resolution packet by said second server.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said associating step includes responding by said second server to said computer by including a network adapter address of said second server.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said second communication includes a message and said providing step includes transmitting said message from said second server to said global computer network.

14. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said second communication includes a message and said providing step includes receiving said message including said second network address by said second server.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said associating step includes translating said second network address to said second address by said second server and sending said message to said computer using said second address.

16. A method, as claimed in claim 7, further including:

preventing access by said computer to substantially any other computer on said second network.

17. A method, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said first network address includes at least one of;

being the same as said second network address and being different from said second network address and in which said global computer network address is different from said second network address.

18. An apparatus for communicating using a global computer network in which a computer has two different addresses, comprising:

a computer having a first address associated with a first network wherein, when communicating to the global computer network using a first server on said first network, said computer uses said first address; and

a second network to which said computer is connected, said second network including a second server, said second server associating a global computer network address with said computer independently of program code provided with said computer to obtain said global computer network address;

wherein said computer, when sending each communication to the global computer network using said second server, sends said communication to said second server using a second network address, and said second server changes said second network address to said global computer network address in order to send each said communication to the global computer network, said computer operating at all times independently of said global computer network address when connected to said second server including when each said communication is sent to the global computer network.

19. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said computer sends an address resolution packet to said second server and said second server responds with its network adapter address.

20. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said second server includes memory for storing information related to a correlation between said second network address and said global computer network address.

21. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said first address is the same as said second network address and said second network address is different from said global computer network address.

22. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said second server is used in preventing access to substantially any other computer on said second network by said computer.

23. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

said second server is used in determining whether a predetermined event has occurred for removing information from a memory of said second server related to a correlation between said second network address and said global network address.

24. An apparatus, as claimed in claim 23, wherein:

said predetermined event includes a predetermined time including at least one of a predetermined time interval related to time elapsed since said second address was utilized and a defined time during each day about which said information related to said correlation is removed.